2019 Rugby World Cup – Africa qualification

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Qualifying for the 2019 Rugby World Cup for Africa Rugby began in June 2016, with 14 teams competing. On 18 August 2018, Namibia qualified for the World Cup by winning the 2018 Rugby Africa Gold Cup, defeating Kenya, who finished second and advanced to the repechage tournament. [1]

Contents

Format

The Rugby Africa Gold Cup is the perpetual trophy awarded to the winner of the Africa Gold Cup, a qualifier for the Rugby World Cup organised by World Rugby's African association, Rugby Africa, since 2000. The Rugby Africa Gold Cup.jpg
The Rugby Africa Gold Cup is the perpetual trophy awarded to the winner of the Africa Gold Cup, a qualifier for the Rugby World Cup organised by World Rugby's African association, Rugby Africa, since 2000.

The Africa Cup, controlled by Rugby Africa (CAR), will be the regional qualification tournament for Rugby World Cup 2019.

The first qualifying round was the 2016 1B and 1C Divisions. The winner of Division 1C was promoted to 1B and the second round of qualifying, while the team placed bottom in 1B was relegated and eliminated from Rugby World Cup contention.

Similarly, 2017 saw Divisions 1A (Gold Cup) and 1B (Silver Cup) act as Round 2. The winner of the 2017 Silver Cup advanced to the Gold Cup for 2018 and remain in contention, while the loser of the 2017 Gold Cup was relegated to the 2018 Silver Cup and eliminated from Rugby World Cup contention.

In Round 3, the winners of the 2018 Gold Cup will qualify for the World Cup as 'Africa 1', while the runner-up, 'Africa 2' will advance to the Repechage tournament as the African representative. [2]

Entrants

Fourteen teams competed during for the 2019 Rugby World Cup – African qualification; teams world rankings are prior to the first African qualification match on 12 June 2016 and bold nations denotes teams have previously played in a Rugby World Cup.

NationRankBegins playQualifying status
Flag of Botswana.svg  Botswana 6426 June 2016Eliminated by Ivory Coast on 5 July 2017
Flag of Cameroon.svg  Cameroon 915 June 2016Withdrew from World Cup contention in June 2016
Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg  Ivory Coast 5129 June 2016Eliminated by Morocco on 8 July 2017
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya 2724 June 2017Advanced to the Repechage as Africa 2
Flag of Madagascar.svg  Madagascar 4112 June 2016Eliminated by Morocco on 5 July 2017
Flag of Mauritius.svg  Mauritius 8610 July 2016Eliminated by Nigeria on 13 July 2016
Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco 5410 July 2016Eliminated by Kenya's victory on 11 August 2018
Flag of Namibia.svg  Namibia 211 July 2017Qualified by defeating Kenya on 18 August 2018
Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria 7713 July 2016Eliminated by Morocco on 16 July 2016
Flag of Senegal.svg  Senegal 5015 June 2016Eliminated by Tunisia on 5 August 2017
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa 3N/AQualified with Top 12 finish at 2015 World Cup
Flag of Tunisia.svg  Tunisia 3826 June 2016Eliminated by Kenya 11 August 2018
Flag of Uganda.svg  Uganda 4924 June 2017Eliminated by Kenya's victory on 11 August 2018
Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia 8312 June 2016Eliminated by Senegal on 15 June 2016
Flag of Zimbabwe.svg  Zimbabwe 3124 June 2017Eliminated by Namibia on 4 August 2018

Round 1

The first round consisted of ten matches between 10 teams. The winner of the Africa Cup Division 1C, Morocco, advanced to the second round and was promoted to division 1B for 2017, while the two winners of division 1B, Senegal and Tunisia, advanced to division 1A.

Round 1A: 2016 Africa Cup Division 1B

Africa Cup Division 1B was contested by six teams, in a two-group round-robin tournament. Pool 1 was held in Monastir, Tunisia, while Pool 2 was held in Antananarivo, Madagascar. The team with the worst record was relegated to Division 1C in 2017, and thus eliminated from qualification.

Pool A

Advances to Round 2, Div 1A
Advances to Round 2, Div 1B
PlaceNationGamesPointsBonus
points
Table
points
playedwondrawnlostforagainstdifference
1Flag of Senegal.svg  Senegal 22008427+5719
2Flag of Madagascar.svg  Madagascar 21014845+315
3Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia 20021878−6000
Points were awarded to the teams as follows:
Win – 4 points
Draw – 2 points
4 or more tries – 1 point
Loss within 7 points – 1 point
Loss greater than 7 points – 0 points

Pool B

Advances to Round 2, Div 1A
Advances to Round 2, Div 1B
PlaceNationGamesPointsBonus
points
Table
points
playedwondrawnlostforagainstdifference
1Flag of Tunisia.svg  Tunisia 22009315+78210
2Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg  Ivory Coast 21012563−3804
3Flag of Botswana.svg  Botswana 20022363−4011
Points were awarded to the teams as follows:
Win – 4 points
Draw – 2 points
4 or more tries – 1 point
Loss within 7 points – 1 point
Loss greater than 7 points – 0 points

Final

The two pool winners contested the final, with both teams advancing to the 2017 Africa Gold Cup.

12 November 2016
15:00
Senegal  Flag of Senegal.svg15–14Flag of Tunisia.svg  Tunisia
Report [12]
Ben Jannet stadium, Monastir, Tunisia
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: Constant Cap (Kenya)

Round 1B: 2016 Africa Cup Division 1C

Africa Cup Division 1C was contested by three teams in a round-robin tournament. Cameroon were meant to compete but withdrew from the tournament after it was rescheduled for a later date. The tournament was held in Casablanca, Morocco.

Advances to Round 2, Div 1B
PlaceNationGamesPointsBonus
points
Table
points
playedwondrawnlostforagainstdifference
1Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco 220012113+108210
2Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria 21014174−3315
3Flag of Mauritius.svg  Mauritius 20022499−7500
Points were awarded to the teams as follows:
Win – 4 points
Draw – 2 points
4 or more tries – 1 point
Loss within 7 points – 1 point
Loss greater than 7 points – 0 points

Round 2

The second round will see the five highest finishers of the six teams in the Gold Cup, Kenya, Namibia, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe, progress to the 2018 Gold Cup, with the last place side, Senegal, relegated to the Silver Division and eliminated from World Cup qualification. The Winner of Silver Cup, Morocco, was the first team to earn their place in the 2018 Gold Cup.

Round 2A: 2017 Africa Gold Cup

Advances to Round 3
PlaceNationGamesPointsBonus
points
Table
points
playedwondrawnlostforagainstdiff
1Flag of Namibia.svg  Namibia 550027264+208525
2Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya 5311226135+91418
3Flag of Uganda.svg  Uganda 5311190126+64216
4Flag of Tunisia.svg  Tunisia 520391272−18108
5Flag of Zimbabwe.svg  Zimbabwe 5104111157−4626
6Flag of Senegal.svg  Senegal 500575211−13611
Points were awarded to the teams as follows:
Win – 4 points
Draw – 2 points
4 or more tries – 1 point
Loss within 7 points – 1 point
Loss greater than 7 points – 0 points

Round 2B: 2017 Africa Silver Cup

The 2017 Africa Silver Cup was contested by four teams in a knockout format. The tournament was held in Casablanca, Morocco.

 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
5 July 2017 – Casablanca
 
 
Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg  Ivory Coast 58
 
8 July 2017 – Casablanca
 
Flag of Botswana.svg  Botswana 25
 
Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco 8
 
5 July 2017 – Casablanca
 
Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg  Ivory Coast 3
 
Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco 57
 
 
Flag of Madagascar.svg  Madagascar 33
 
Third place play-off
 
 
8 July 2017 – Casablanca
 
 
Flag of Botswana.svg  Botswana 24
 
 
Flag of Madagascar.svg  Madagascar 47

Round 3: 2018 Africa Gold Cup

Six teams will contest the 2018 Rugby Africa Gold Cup and the final round of the African qualification, with the winner qualifying as Africa 1. The second placed team, Africa 2, will advance to the repechage tournament.

Qualifies as Africa 1
Advances to Repechage
PlaceNationGamesPointsBonus
points
Table
points
playedwondrawnlostforagainstdiff
1Flag of Namibia.svg  Namibia 550034769+278525
2Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya 5401206135+71117
3Flag of Uganda.svg  Uganda 5203160172−1219
4Flag of Tunisia.svg  Tunisia 520366279−21319
5Flag of Zimbabwe.svg  Zimbabwe 5113139162−2328
6Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco 501496197−10113
Points were awarded to the teams as follows:
Win – 4 points
Draw – 2 points
3 or more tries than the opponent – 1 point
Loss within 7 points – 1 point
Loss greater than 7 points – 0 points

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